The president of Barnard’s student government has been in the news a lot lately, so what’s one more article on Shivani? We love her and her outspoken attitude, so we figured she’d have a lot to say, and it turns out we were right… even about cheese.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Shivani Vikuntam, Barnard College, Information Science & Contemporary Society, Cranbury, NJ

Claim to fame: SGA President, and possibly your RA. You’ve also probably laughed at my photo in the Spectator.

Where are you going? Staying and working in NYC! Excited to see what’s outside of this Morningside Heights bubble.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2020?

1) Students have a TON of power. If there’s a problem on campus, be vocal! Take advantage of your student governments and student publications to get your message out there. Over the past four years, I’ve seen some amazing people make some impactful changes on campus this way.

2) Grades aren’t everything. I won’t lie, they do matter, but not more than your health, your friendships, and your happiness. So when it’s 4am and you find yourself in Butler on a Friday night, remind yourself that Reading Week exists for a reason—to learn entire courses in a few days. Also, major in something you actually care about. The classes are way more enjoyable.

3) Take advantage of Columbia University. We have one of the most unique student bodies in the world. My time here would not have been the same without my best friends from GS. So take the time to reach beyond your respective undergraduate college and meet everyone else on this campus! You won’t regret it.

“Back in my day…” No one questioned my swipe into JJ’s, and Barnard had winter housing options, a lawn, and a library. Mudd was kind of ugly, the Barnard chastity gate closed way earlier, and Bacchanal happened on the steps.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer. When I ran for Class President my freshman year, I tried to Facebook friend every Barnard student in the Class of 2016. After that, Facebook banned me from friending anyone else for a while. Oh well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What was your favorite class at Columbia? I’m more of a favorite professor kind of person. If I like a professor, I find that I love any course they teach. That being said, if you have the opportunity, I HIGHLY recommend taking anything taught by the following Professors: Steven Bellovin (CompSci), J.C. Salyer (Sociology), and Brian Boyd (Archaeology). These are phenomenal professors who are clearly passionate about their field of study and it’s apparent in the way they teach and engage with students.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Oral sex. I became a pescatarian ten years ago, but will never stop missing the taste of bacon. Smoked cheese, like gouda, reminds me of that heavenly taste. I’ll never give that up.

One thing to do before graduating: I need to get on the roof of a campus building. It’s been on my college bucket list for the past four years. Can someone get me up there?

Any regrets? Looking back, I wish we had created a space where students could talk about issues. I constantly see students just yelling at each other on Facebook without actually having a conversation. On another note, I also wish I befriended more of the amazing people that attend this University. I’m trying to cram some new friendships during these last two weeks so don’t be alarmed if I message you out of the blue for coffee.

We’re glad Facebook let her back via Shivani Vikuntam